Oysters, tall masts, jazz, lectures, a parade, gallery tours, wine tasting, a baby dragon, fireworks over illuminated tall ships, and more oysters only begins to describe this weekend’s spectacular 2015 Downrigging Weekend in Chestertown.
A-list authors Michaels Dirda and Ian Urbina along with rising star Kate Livie offered food for the mind as they spoke and read to full houses throughout the weekend while fresh oysters were shucked and offered to passer-byes as they toured Chestertown’s many galleries and shops.
Tall ships, including Pride of Baltimore IIm Kalmar Nyckel, A.J. Meerwaeld and Lady Maryland joined Sultana for cruises under clear sunny skies on Saturday and Sunday.
“It was a really great weekend,” said Drew McMullen, President of Sultana Education Foundation. “ We had 876 aboard our cruises, close to our record, and it was quite a turnaround from the Downrigging Weekends of the past when we had to make calls to people canceling the cruise because of hurricanes and storms.”
The Spy was on hand to capture moments from a wonderful weekend as Chestertown illuminated the Eastern Shore with one the year’s standout festivities, a shining emblem of the town on the Chester River.
MARY WOOD says
Thanks Jim for this pictorial visit to Downrigging. I wasn’t able to see any of the excitement.